Design a Community Park PBL

Left: Design Plan for Semeria Park in Belmont, San Mateo County, California

http://ourcoolplanet.wordpress.com/

Right: Small Park Area in the City of Gresham, Oregon

http://greshamoregon.gov/communityinitiatedparks/

Posted on 10/14/2011 at Edutopia.org

Designing a Community Park PBL

Designing a Community Park PBL

1. Good Neighbors: Landscape Design and Community Building

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GglkdDpx1yY

This 10 minute video is a presentation of the National Park Service highlighting the Frederick Law Olmsted Historic

Office and Community Park near Boston.

It follows a class of 3rd graders visiting the office and park to study, design, and create models of their own

community parks. It is an excellent resource for teachers to view, however the tone of the narration limits

the classroom audience to early primary school children.

2. Community Park Plan Webquest (good for high school)

http://www.west.asu.edu/achristie/548/WQ/Kristlyn/parkplan.htm

This is an excellent complete outline for implementing a class project based on teams of four students

(with specific roles, tasks, and group cooperation), for each team to design and create a model community park.

It includes specific online resources for each team to budget their proposed facilities with park equipment

(playground area, etc.) and public amenities (benches, fountains, etc.), evaluation/assessment charts with checklists,

and requirements for a class presentation by each team.

==============================================================================================

*Important Note For Teachers*

Because this Webquest Site is from 1999, several of the online links are outdated or discontinued.

So it is Necessary for You to review all the links Before listing them for your Students, and Exclude those

that are Dead Ends or Inappropriate.

==============================================================================================

It follows a class of 3rd graders visiting the office and park to study, design, and create models of their own community parks.

It is an excellent resource for teachers to view, however the tone of the narration limits the classroom audience to early primary

school children.

2. Community Park Plan Webquest (good for high school)

http://www.west.asu.edu/achristie/548/WQ/Kristlyn/parkplan.htm

This is an excellent complete outline for implementing a class project based on teams of four students

(with specific roles, tasks, and group cooperation), for each team to design and create a model community park.

It includes specific online resources for each team to budget their proposed facilities with park equipment

(playground area, etc.) and public amenities (benches, fountains, etc.), evaluation/assessment charts with checklists,

and requirements for a class presentation by each team.

==============================================================================================

*Important Note For Teachers*

Because this Webquest Site is from 1999, several of the online links are outdated or discontinued.

So it is Necessary for You to review all the links Before listing them for your Students, and Exclude those

that are Dead Ends or Inappropriate.

==============================================================================================

3. Designing a City Park

http://www.math.ccsu.edu/mitchell/math409tcmjourneydesigningacitypark.pdf

This is also an excellent complete outline for implementing a class project based on teamwork.

It has seven specific charts with guidelines and checklists for the park plan, design, and class presentation.

There is also excellent background information and curriculum resources.

This project has less rigorous requirements than the above webquest, but all three projects listed here

are adaptable to all grade levels K – 12.

And of course these projects can be shared with teachers in other groups as well…

“The sky is the daily bread of our eyes.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

“And what is the grass? I guess it must be the flag of my disposition, out of hopeful green stuff woven.”

Walt Whitman